Just in : Celtic handed injury boost as £24k-a-week star in training will miss the match Against Atalanta

 

Celtic face a crucial Champions League clash with Atalanta this week and Brendan Rodgers has now received a major boost regarding the fitness of a key player.

Celtic set for vital Atalanta clash

The Hoops had a disappointing result last Saturday, only managing a 2-2 draw at home to Aberdeen in a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership meeting between two sides with 100 per cent records. While a point was far from disastrous, the fact that Rodgers’ men let a two-goal lead slip was disappointing.

Attention now turns from league to Champions League commitments for Celtic, who make the trip to Bergamo on Wednesday evening, knowing how important the result is in the group stage. The Scottish giants have won and lost one game apiece in Europe’s top competition so far this season, thumping Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at Parkhead, only to be humiliated 7-1 away to Borussia Dortmund last time around.

This promises to be another massive test for the Hoops, as they come up against the reigning Europa League holders, following their own win over much-fancied Bundesliga champions Bayern Leverkusen in last season’s final.

Rodgers will know the importance of having as many key players available as possible on Wednesday, and a massive update has emerged in that respect.

Celtic handed massive injury boost with Carter-Vickers

According to The Daily Record, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers trained in footage released on Tuesday, suggesting he could be available for selection against Atalanta. Described in the report as a “huge boost” for the Hoops, the 26-year-old was “back on the grass” before the Aberdeen game but wasn’t risked ahead of the trip to Italy, suggesting they’ve played it safe to avoid re-injury.

Having Carter-Vickers back for Atalanta would feel enormous for Celtic, although there would be the obvious risk of him being rusty for a big game, considering he hasn’t featured at all since the win over Bratislava in the middle of September.

The £24,000-a-week USA international has been arguably Celtic’s most influential defender ever since he sealed a move to Parkhead from Tottenham in 2022, with former Hoops teammate Moritz Jenz once saying of him: “CCV is a great guy. First of all, he’s not selfish. He’s a top, team player.

“You saw him come on against Lazio and you could see his presence. Everyone was like, ‘CCV is here!’. It was very stable. Okay, the goal they conceded was a bit unlucky where Cameron could have kicked it out, but this can happen. But he is so important. It’s like having a rock, or a fridge, next to you. You know he’s going to be there and will cover you when someone goes past you.”

Rodgers clearly has a huge decision to make when it comes to whether to start Carter-Vickers or not, with the risk of throwing him straight back in obvious.

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